Of Nightmares and Storms
by Lariren-Shadow
Summary: On a stormy night Elboron has a nightmare. Also has Éowyn, Faramir, and Éomer.


**A/N**: This very well could be the result of the rainstorms we had last week where I live.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own them, Tolkien does.

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Éowyn rolled over in her sleep, storm raging outside. She was exhausted from the day, everything that could have gone wrong, had. The storm had started that morning, quit unexpectedly. Elboron, all of four years of age, had become sick. Éowyn had fussed over him for a little, making sure he was in bed and safe, until his nurse reassured her that she had everything under control. It turned out, however, that it was not just Elboron who was sick. About half the staff had come down with the same thing. Éowyn had done her best to help, though the cooks made her leave after about ten minutes. They did not want anyone else to be sick. Then Éomer and Lothíriel had arrived a day early for their visit. They had claimed that they sent a messenger ahead before them, when about an hour later the messenger arrived. Lothíriel had been a big help, though Éomer was more of a hindrance.

Faramir, who was asleep and very spread out next to her, had come home late from his trip to one of the near by villages. They had been having some problems with flooding from the storms. He had rushed back home, but he still was very wet and tired when he returned.

Éowyn awoke to the sound of what she thought was thunder. She shook off the feeling of unease that she had and was about to go back to sleep when she heard the sound again. It was not thunder that she had heard, but a child's cry. She jumped our of bed and reached for her robe. She quickly put it on and hurried to Elboron's room. He was awake, looking fairly shaken from his sleep. Éowyn went over to the bed and he flung himself at her. She held him in her arms as he shock with an unknown fear. She began rocking back and forth, muttering calmly to him. He seemed to calm down a little, when she was there.

"Shhhh, little one, it is all right, nothing can hurt you now I am here." Éowyn comforted him. "What has you so upset?"

Elboron sat in her arms for a little, not knowing how to put his dream to word and still afraid of the dream. "I was in darkness." He began, and Éowyn looked down at him in amazement and with fear for him. She knew that Faramir had prophetic dreams, thought they were more like nightmares. She wondered if this was one of them, then he continued. "Then there was an orc, and he came and tried to get me. And I ran away from him, but he tried to get me, and would not stop, Mama." Elboron said, burrowing into her. She stroked his back, letting him take comfort in her. She also felt a little relieved, this could not have been one of the dreams.

"It is all right, nothing will get you here." Éowyn said, then a thought occurred to her. "Where did you hear about orcs and how they act?" She had not told him, though she knew that Faramir told stories to him. She did not think that he would tell him such stories to cause Elboron to have nightmares.

"Uncle Éomer told me about them. He said they are horrible and would not stop chasing you when you ran. And that was what it was doing in my dream." Elboron mumbled. Éowyn would have to have a talk with her brother in the morning. Elboron was still holding her tightly when she moved to leave.

Éowyn looked down at him and let out a little sigh. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Elboron nodded vigorously. "All right." She picked him up, while standing herself. She turned back and picked up the wooden horse Elboron loved. She walked down the dark halls, holding Elboron tightly. There was a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightening from the storm and Elboron held tighter to her. The rain mixed with her footfalls, making them seem softer. She opened the door to her chambers and walked over to the bed. She set Elboron down and then shock Faramir, to tell him that Elboron was there. Faramir grunted in response. Éowyn smiled and whispered his name, only to get an even more enthusiastic grunt. "Elboron is coming to sleep with us tonight. He had a bad dream." Faramir grunted again, to show he understood. She smiled and kissed his brow. She moved to get into the bed, and kissed Elboron's brow as well, as he was already settling back into sleep. Éowyn looked down at father and son, both asleep, dark hair spread out on the pillow. She smiled and slid under the blankets, falling asleep to the sound of the rain outside.

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The light of dawn streamed through the window and illuminated the room, chasing away the darkness of the night and the storm. It lit up the hills and made they're new green even brighter. Faramir awoke to a find a foot resting in his side. He was stunned, and wondered how the foot had been placed there. He turned his head and saw a mass of black hair. Recollection dawned on him as he remembered what Éowyn had said the night before. He looked over the black hair and saw her smiling at him. She pressed a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. He nodded a moved a little to see her better.

"Good morning." Éowyn whispered softly, propping her head up on her hand, careful not to disturb Elboron.

"Good morning." Faramir said in return, moving his hand to brush a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. He looked down at Elboron, then back to her. "What was his dream?"

"An orc was chasing him. Éomer apparently told him about them yesterday." She whispered, a little annoyed. "He was a ill yesterday. Did you ever tell him of orcs?"

"Yes, but I did not describe them in detail. Éomer is here already?"

"Yes, he came a day early. Lothíriel was a good help though." Elboron stirred and Éowyn stopped talking. But it was to late, Elboron's eyes opened and he yawned. He looked around and then woke up entirely. He sat up and then decided to throw his arms around Faramir.

"Papa, your back!" He said happily. Faramir let out a grunt as Elboron's weight hit him. Éowyn laughed.

"I see your feeling better Elboron." He nodded, and to prove it, tried to get up and start jumping. Faramir, however, held tight to him.

"I think you need to get some clothes on if you want to use some of that energy." Faramir said, moving to get a better grip on Elboron. Faramir stood up and quickly got dressed. He returned to see Éowyn trying to calm him. Faramir came over and saw that she was smiling and trying to resist laughing along with Elboron. Faramir scooped up Elboron and leaned to kiss Éowyn. She meet his lips halfway, and was cut short by Elboron's movements.

Faramir left the room, holding a struggling Elboron very tightly. Éowyn got up and moved to get dressed. She did so quickly and decided to go talk to her brother. She walked down the hall to where Éomer was. She knocked on the door. There was an exasperated sigh, and what she knew was very colorful Rohirric. A minute later the door opened, only slightly, and Éomer's head popped out. Éowyn smiled, knowing full well what she had interrupted. The smile was also to help fool Éomer into coming willingly with her.

"Éowyn, could you come back later?" Éomer said, hoping she would leave.

"Good morning Éomer," Éowyn said brightly, "may I have a word with you?"

"Now, sister? Can it not be a little later?" Éomer pleaded.

"Yes, now." Éowyn added an edge to her voice. Éomer noticed and wondered what he had done. He stepped out of the room, bare-chested since he had only found his breeches. Éowyn looked around the hall, and thought better of confronting him there. She motioned for Éomer to follow; he did, after taking a long look at the door. Éowyn lead him to her study. After she motioned for Éomer to go in, she followed and tried very hard not to slam the door.

Éowyn rounded on Éomer, and pushed him down into a chair. She loomed over him, looking like she was ready to strike. "What did you tell my son yesterday?" She spat.

Éomer tried to remember. He had gone to see him after Éowyn had told him to stop trying to help. Elboron had been in bed and he had asked Éomer a lot of questions. "I do not remember." Éomer finally said.

"Think brother, for I do believe you do remember." Éowyn's eyes were dangerous. Éomer thought back, but all he could think about was that Éowyn was angry and looming over him. He tried very hard to remember, looking up into his sister's stormy eyes. Éomer remembered Elboron asking about Rohan, which Éomer was very happy about.

"He asked me about Rohan." Éomer shrank back into the chair as Éowyn moved closer. He knew that that was not the right answer.

"Did you tell him anything, _in detail_?" Éowyn's voice was threatening and low. Her face was inches from his, and Éomer knew that something had happened.

He wracked his brain for anything that could have his sister so mad at him, anything that he had told Elboron. Then he remembered, Elboron had asked something that had lead Éomer to describe what an orc looked like. He could not remember why he had done that, but Elboron had been a little quieter after that. Then Elboron's nurse had said he needed sleep and Éomer had been pushed out of that room as well.

"I told Elboron what an orc looked like." Éomer said, looking at the fury in Éowyn's eyes.

"What possessed you to do so? How old were you when you learned what one looked like?" She exclaimed. She took so solace in the fact that Éomer at least admitted to telling Elboron of them.

"I was not much older than he was, you were still a babe in arms I think." Éomer said looking at her. He sighed at the memory and there was a silence between them. "And I had a nightmare that night." Éomer finally admitted. He looked again to Éowyn before he continued again, remembering other things about that moment in his life. "Mother was very angry at who told me. I believe it was because I would learn soon enough what orcs were, but she did not want to think of me knowing that already." Éowyn backed down a little when Éomer mentioned what had happened with him.

Then Éowyn realized how she had acted. She looked at her brother and tried not to smile, trying to keep the stern face she had worn before. She moved back a little before she spoke again. "Is that really how Mother acted?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, I watched from the doorway while she yelled. I do not think she knew that I was there." Éomer smiled a little at the memory.

Éowyn was lost for words at the moment. She was still angry at Éomer, but did not want to admit it, now that he had told her what happened to him. She straitened up, and looked at her brother again. "Try to watch what you say around Elboron more often, he is still very young. Now go get some clothes on and go to breakfast. I will know what you say to him, though." Éowyn said sternly, but with caring for her brother in her eyes.

Éomer stood and smiled at Éowyn. He knew that she could have been a lot harsher on him, and that he was lucky at the moment. He also knew that what did happen to him was true, and he had never told her until now. He embraced her and said, "You are a good mother, sister." And left the room. Éowyn smiled and decided to go find Faramir, and then get some breakfast herself.

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**A/N**: I realized as I finished this that they might be a little out of character. Sorry about that. And if they are not, then it is just better to say what I think here. Sorry about that. Review please! 


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